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Contact: Mike Houghton, telephone 01244 378276 or e-mail Mike@chestermesh.org.uk |
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Glycaemic eating Dr Andrew Wright One of the problems often highlighted by the adrenal stress index test is an imbalance between the two stress hormones cortisol and DHEA. One of the commonest reasons for this is because of what is called glycaemic dysregulation. This is where blood sugars fluctuate up and down, although this fluctuation may be within what is considered the normal range for blood sugars on laboratory tests. This is often called ‘roller-coaster’ blood sugars. These ‘up and down’ fluctuations in blood sugar levels are a potent elevator of the body’s stress hormones. This is often the consequence of the diet that we eat in the western world. Food contains generally the following;
All are essential for health. When we eat food we digest the protein, carbohydrates and fats and break them down to their various components or building blocks. As far as blood sugar levels are concerned, what seems to be important is the ratio of the proteins and carbohydrates and the levels of two hormones called glucagon and insulin in the blood. Both of these hormones are secreted by a gland called the pancreas, which is in your abdomen. Glucagon will raise blood sugar by converting the body’s stored sugars (called glycogen), into glucose. Insulin will lower blood sugar by forcing glucose out of the blood stream into the tissues and cells of the body. It is important that the body maintains a level of glucose within a fairly narrow range as it is toxic to the body. Sufferers of diabetes, where the blood sugar is often high, will often develop the consequences of this, with problems occurring in the kidneys, eyes and nerves as well as sufferers having a higher incidence of heart disease and obesity. When we eat carbohydrates the following sequence occurs;
However, because of the way we eat, people can make too much insulin and consequently the blood sugar falls to a low level. This is called hypoglycaemia. This is because we eat too many of the wrong sort of carbohydrates and too many when compared to the amount of protein we eat. The way the body reacts to this is to try and increase the level of blood sugar and it releases stress hormones to do this. The main hormones involved are the adrenaline-like hormones and cortisol. They firstly use up any sugar stored as glycogen in liver and muscle. If stress is prolonged, then they will start to break down protein to convert them into glucose. This protein can come from many sources such as muscle, bone and internal organs and this can have a detrimental effect on the body. This in turn causes a further alteration in the ratio of the two hormones cortisol and DHEA, which are measured in the adrenal stress index, in favour of cortisol. This exacerbates the problem and a vicious circle ensues. In simple terms the body becomes chronically stressed. Proteins in food are considered essentially for growth and repair. They play a crucial role in virtually all biological processes in the body. All our body’s enzymes, that is catalysts for chemical reactions, are proteins and are vital for the body’s metabolism. Muscle contraction, immune system protection and the transmission of nerve impulses are all dependent on proteins. The proteins in skin and bone provide structural support. Many hormones are proteins. Proteins, as mentioned above, can also provide a source of glucose. Excess protein may also be converted to fats and stored. Most foods contain at least some protein. The common sources are eggs, meat, fish. However, vegetables are also a good supply of protein and information is included in the supplementary sheets. People who are vegetarian, in fact, can get all the protein they require from their diet. Although some proteins lack what are called essential amino acids or building blocks they are usually obtained from the variety of proteins that vegetarians tend to eat. Nor is it usually necessary to mix different types of vegetable protein at each meal as the proteins when digested down into their building blocks or amino acids can circulate in the system for many hours without being used up straight after the meal. Work by Dr. Elias Ilyia in America has shown that the optimal ratio of proteins and carbohydrates is one part protein to 1.7 parts carbohydrates, although in practice this can be 1.5-2.0 parts carbohydrates. This should be eaten with each meal and will keep your blood sugars fairly stable. Included in this leaflet are weights of typical foods and also a guide to which are good and bad carbohydrates based on what is called the glycaemic index. The vegetarian index will tell you how much protein is in plant sources if you wish to work out weight of protein contained in those. Again, this is based on typical servings. However, you may end up for a short while having to weigh your food. However, people soon become accustomed to making sure that meals do contain the correct ratios simply by observation after several weeks of weighing. Although this process of making sure the ratio of protein to carbohydrates is correct can seem daunting at first, it is well worth the effort. Alternatively, you can if you know the calorie content of your proteins and carbohydrates work out the ratio that way. This is because when you burn protein and carbohydrates they give off the same amount of energy per gram. This is called calorie equivalent. Also included is a list of the glycaemic index of foods. This is really a measure of how quickly foods are digested releasing sugar into the blood stream and what sort of insulin response they elicit. Foods which are digested quickly releasing a large amount of glucose into the bloodstream will stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin in large amounts which can lead to the hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar mentioned above. The index uses glucose as a standard and is given a value of 100. Other foods are then compared to this. You should try and eat foods with as low a glycaemic index as possible, preferably below 60. After a period of a few months and hopefully by the time you retest your adrenal stress index test, you will notice a change in the ratio of the hormones cortisol and DHEA. Remember that when the body is constantly pressed to produce cortisol it will reduce its production of DHEA. DHEA has the opposite effect of cortisol. Cortisol is catabolic, that is it breaks down tissue, notably proteins, to form glucose whereas DHEA favours the deposition of proteins in your body’s tissue such as muscle and bone. Some of the other consequences of the diet that are worth mentioning are firstly that by smoothing out blood sugars you will ultimately favour laying down fat stores evenly in the body and not around the abdomen, buttocks and thighs as is often seen in the west. You will also increase your lean body mass which will help your metabolism work more effectively. Many of the chemical processes that occur in the body occur in the protein parts of the body such as muscles, bones and your internal organs. Particularly useful for women is the fact that one of the problems they often experience are due to levels of the hormone oestrogen fluctuating up and down in a similar way to the roller-coasters of blood sugars. This is because this hormone is not only made in the hormone glands, the adrenals and ovaries, but also in the fatty tissues of the body. If you have too much fat you will make extra oestrogen which will cause your levels to fluctuate in an uncontrolled way. Women who suffer from pre-menstrual syndrome, menstrual migraines and menopausal flushing often benefit from glycaemic eating. Another long term spin off is that your chances of developing diabetes in later life is reduced as is that of heart disease. There are some special circumstances to discuss though. If you suffer from liver disease or have a problem in storing glucose as glycogen or utilising that glycogen when stored, you may not respond as well as is thought. This accounts for about 5% of people. It may be necessary then to go on to do further tests to try and work out the best eating plan for you. Diabetics also should be careful because glycaemic eating can often improve their blood sugar control to such an extent that the level of medication that they normally may take can be too high and hypoglycaemias may ensue. It is important that if you are diabetic that you share this information with your physicians and seek their approval before commencing the diet plan. Although this is not a calorie controlled diet, it can be incorporated into one. It is usual to restrict fats on a diet and you shouldn’t worry about upsetting the balance of insulin and glucagon. All that fats in a meal do are to vary the rate at which you empty food from the stomach, as well as too many putting weight on you! Another point to make is that fruit and vegetables, on the whole, can be eaten in unlimited quantities as they also tend to be glycaemic. An exception is too many bananas. Technical notes for doctors The glycaemic eating plan is one that is endorsed by many organisations and has an increasing amount of research evidence to prove its effectiveness. These are available on request. Dr. Elias Ilyias has shown that the following occurs;
Fats do not play a part in insulin and glucagon ratios but only serve to regulate rate of stomach emptying with a high fat content diet slowing down stomach emptying. However, high glycaemic foods stimulate lipoprotein lipase which causes enlargement of fat cells and favours central obesity. Therefore, glycaemic eating along with moderate exercise can be a useful tool in weight reduction. Although glycaemic eating itself is not a calorie controlled diet it can be incorporated into one to maximise weight loss. As mentioned, diabetics should take care that they don’t become hypoglycaemic when they start their diet as insulin or oral hypoglycaemic requirements may fall. Good references on this are as follows;
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Whilst all statements are given in good faith they are for information only. Any mention of treatments or products does not imply that they have been tested or endorsed by Chester MESH |
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